WILMINGTON, Del. – For scholastic cross country teams from around the Delaware Valley, competing in the prestigious Salesianum Invitational cross country meet is a good way to get ready for post-season competition.

Obviously, winning a team title at the huge multi-school, multi-race meet at Brandywine State Park in northern Delaware is a great way to get ready for the upcoming league and district championship meets.

Winning a team title at Saturday’s 39th Annual Salesianum Invitational is just what Upper Merion’s girls’ team did.

The Vikings placed three runners in the top 15 in the “Girls Large School” race and claimed the championship trophy with 87 points. Conestoga finished second with 95 followed by Caesar Rodney (103), St. Mark’s (130), Milford (1630, Middletown (167) and Smyrna (188).

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Leading the way for the Vikes was Colleen Butler, who was the only Pennsylvania runner to place in the top 10. Butler finished 10th with a time of 22:06. The race was won by Caesar Rodney’s Rebekah Mills, who crossed at 20:49.

“I wanted to get out hard,” said Butler, a Viking junior. “I did my normal mile pace. The first mile just kind of whizzed by -- me going over rocks and really trying not to trip. My mile time was 6:12 and that was good.

“The first hill felt pretty good. After that, I got my first cramp. The cramps stayed with me the rest of the race and grew through my whole stomach. But, I fought through them as much as possible.”

Upper Merion’s next two finishers were Ashley Anderson, who was 13th with a clocking of 22:16, and Gab Hnatin, who was 14th with a time of 22:17.

“I tried to go out hard because I knew the hills would be difficult,” said Anderson, also a junior. “I was 24th at the mile with a time of 6:42. It was a little slow but I just wanted it to be under 7:00.

“The hills were really hard. There wasn’t a lot of give-back. It was up and then up again. It seemed like it was all uphill. In the third mile, my legs were dying. But, I pushed it up the big hill and then let gravity carry me back down.”

Hnatin, an Upper Merion sophomore, said, “According to our coach, our start was too slow and we were too far back. Ashley (Anderson), Zeinab (Bakillah) and I came through the mile together at 6:42. It was a comfortable pace.

“The second mile was tough. The first one was better and the second one was worse. After the steep hill, I wasn’t quite ready for the long, gradual one yet. The first 800 after the second hill was the best part for me. I picked it up and caught up with Ashley.”

In the “Girls Championship” race, North Penn claimed the runner-up trophy with 63 points. The Maidens were topped only by Oakton High, which placed first with 52 points. Archbishop Wood finished third at 78 and Great Valley was fourth with 90.

The Maidens’ first four runners all placed in the top 15. Phoebe Clowser took seventh at 20:38 and Ali Valenti was 10th at 20:52.

“I got stuck at the beginning of the race and got boxed in a bit,” said Clowser, a Maiden freshman. “During the woods, I picked it up a little and got back in the groove. I was at 6:00 at the mile and was in 13th or 14th place. I passed a lot of people going up the first hill. I worked the hill pretty good.

“We do a lot of hills in training so I was used to it. The gradual hill was better. I was maybe 10th by the two-mile. The third mile was easier than the second. I had a pretty good kick and passed one girl (Great Valley’s Caroline Moyer) in the final 100 meters.”

Valenti, a sophomore, said, “I didn’t get out as good as I wanted to but I made up time in the second mile. Phoebe and I ran together for awhile. In the second mile, I was right behind her.

“I was following her and it helped me along. We were together at the two-mile and then, in the last 800, she picked it up. Coming down the last hill, I was able to pass one girl (Archmere Academy’s Colleen Carney).”